Here is a fine example of an infographic from the Discovery Channel.
Note :: It is quite a large image so may take a while to download.
 

On the 23rd of January Lewis visited Auchencairn Primary School in Kirkcudbrightshire. The visit was for the upper class (primary 5-7) and was attended by 16 pupils and 4 adults.
The visit started with a short talk about sharks and more specifically, sharks in Scotland and the work of the SSTP. Pupils were extremely enthusiastic and inquisitive, asking lots of questions and getting very involved in short activities and a question session.
Following the introductory talk, the pupils were taken to the nearby Rascarrel beach where both pupils and teachers …

Though our first attempt to hold the AGM was scuppered by the weather, this time, despite all frost, ice and odd bit of snow, a goodly number made it and we managed to get it done.
Thanks to all those who turned up; my apologies for the quality of the photo and to those who were stood to the right of me and didn’t get included in it.
A particular thank you goes to our SSTP Coordinators Julie and Lewis and the guys from the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT) who …

Open-ocean shark populations throughout the world are dropping, not only due to overfishing but also from inadvertent captures by fishermen in search of tuna and other target species.
In an effort to protect these vulnerable animals, the MADE (Mitigating Adverse Ecological Impacts of Open Ocean Fisheries) project receives €2,980,000 in EU funding and is working to develop ways to reduce their unintentional killing.
To develop methods to spare sharks, MADE researchers are combining biological and technological studies with economic analyses at a variety of sites in the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Researchers …

This article covers some changes that will be implemented to tagging procedure over the coming months.
Depth Gauge for Canulas
You may be aware of an issue that was raised about a common skate having sores around the tagging site. Other info on this subject can be found here, including an explanation of why the sores form.
After consultation with Francis Neat from Marine Scotland Science, we are convinced this has been caused by the tag not being pushed in far enough (allowing the tag to move, effectively slowing or preventing healing).
To get …

A fascinating article by Li Ling Hamady of the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography explains how scientists have found a “silver lining to mushroom clouds” by using the remnants of a past nuclear age to try and protect remaining populations of Basking Sharks which are considered vulnerable to critically endangered worldwide.
Though they are the world’s second largest fish behind whale sharks, basking sharks remain a closed book scientifically.
In the article, Li states “for conservation strategies to be effective, you first need basic knowledge of where marine animals live, mate, …

Commercial fishermen using longlines, which are thought to take a huge amount of tope bycatch, must now return tope (and other sharks) to the sea unharmed in most European waters.
From the official journal of the EU catches taken from EU and international waters of I, IIa, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, XII and XIV with longlines of tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus), kitefin shark (Dalatias licha), bird beak dogfish (Deania calcea), leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus), greater lanternshark (Etmopterus princeps), smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus pusillus), Portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis) and spurdog (Squalus …

By Gordon Goldie
With the higher than normal winds curtailing a lot of boat fishing pretty much since the Tagathon event in November, I’d been dying to get back up to my boat at Loch Sunart for a couple of days to see what was about. As always, I’d been watching the weather forecast for days beforehand and it was looking good for the weekend with SE winds below 10mph for both days. Billy McCormack was to be my crew mate and we were joined for Saturday by Darren, Paul and …

A U.S conservation organisation has released an app that allows iPhone and iPad users to track the movement of several Great White Sharks fitted with satellite tags.
This novel idea came from marine biologist Michael Domeier, the president of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, who has studied these iconic sharks for many years.
The aim of this project is to raise public awareness and to fund conservation projects for the species which is currently listed as “vulnerable”.
It is hoped that the money generated can be used to expand current research programmes to …

Below is some excellent underwater footage of a large male common skate recorded in January 2012 in 60m of water off the Black Craig, Orkney.
The footage was recorded by Dan Wise. Copyright the Orkney Skate Trust.
The screenshot (right) shows a close up still of the skate swimming.
 
More footage of skate underwater can be viewed on the Orkney Skate Trust website here.

 
Below is a short clip of a female common skate coming to the boat in the Sound of Jura. The fish was caught by Patrick Lawlor, …